Since there’s nowhere for just straight feedback for main site things, I figured a thread will do.
I really like the idea of this event, but the execution leaves a whole lot to be desired. There are a few specific things bothering me about it. For one, peak shipping season for FedEx is basically from right now until January, dropping a sales event in this period means an increased risk of shipping delays, mishandled packages, and all the possible effects those have on the animals. On top of that, for breeders in cooler climates, many forgo shipping at all once temperatures drop too far/snow starts to fall. Redline and ShipYourReptiles specifically note that shipping below their recommended temperature (daytime high of 38ºF) nullifies their on time/live arrival insurance. I know where I’m at, we’re currently oscillating between too low and just barely acceptable. That means either hoping the temperatures give you a break, or having to wait to ship until spring. Seeing as the point of a sale is to actually move stock, it negates any possible benefits when you then have to hold onto that animal and put more resources into it until it can be shipped.
I love that MorphMarket is trying to do more to get more eyes on the market and give us tools and events to help business, but sometimes it feels a little like things weren’t thought out before they were put into action. Idk, maybe I’m the only one who worries about things like this. Anyone else have thoughts?
I wish I was lucky enough to live in a place where that was possible. Did a check and a. there are very few breeders of species I work with, locally, and b. none are participating in the sale.
I agree, maybe a Christmas in July thing would be a better option, though it wouldn’t have access to actual black Friday sales from other parts of the process, like shipping, supplies, etc
Same here in AZ. It definitely has to either be a spring or fall thing, although I prefer fall. Maybe just a couple of weeks earlier than they did it this year to help avoid the freezing nighttime temps of some of the more northern states?
I feel like late August or into September would be good timing for a sale like this, though you and others from different climates would know best. That way Southerners don’t have to worry as much about the highs, and those of us in the North aren’t trying to scramble to avoid winter shutdown.
Agreed. Same for me. I’m in NW Indiana, near Chicago, and temps are dipping low enough I’m at the point I have to very careful with planning on shipping to avoid any serious issues. November is just a bit late. I think a month earlier would be better.
If I had to guess, it’s something they’ve had in the works for a bit, and finally worked out the details and just said “do it” to get it out to the world to see how it goes for the first time. I think this is kinda how some of the changes have happened. They get pushed through and then we just wait to see how it works out. Which isn’t a terrible method, but it leaves some questions, imo.
Temps and shipping are a consideration for sure. The timing of when they’re impossible varies, and there’s not going to be a perfect time everywhere which could be written down in advance. For instance, maybe April is pretty shippable in a lot of places but you may have a freakishly hot high pressure system or a freakishly cold April snowstorm. Then there that one random week in July where’s its suddenly, unexpectedly workable, sandwiched between 105°F weeks. And hey, maybe a few hurricanes can add fun to Fall. Can’t do advanced planning for that stuff. That said, this current event’s timing is predictably not the best for shipping. MorphMarket is worldwide, too, and I am not about to get into the determination of ideal shipping for parts of the world I know even less about than I do my own usual slithering grounds. I would expect that the staff will consider feedback of various types in making future determinations.
Hello, and thank you for the feedback! The goal was to host the event before it got too cold Nationwide, but it seems the weather definitely had other plans. (Personally, it went from 80 degrees F yesterday to 50 here). We also were aiming to have it done before shipping got too crazy, but I fully understand people start shopping earlier than ever now. Since this was the first time we ever hosted something like this, the entire event has been a learning experience for us all. We are happy to make changes based on feedback for the future! We are looking into hosting a similar event again in March or May. What are your thoughts on that time frame?
This sale event didn’t have much planning, and was brought up two weeks before being executed. The next Morph Madness sale will be better executed and planned out next year, allowing most sellers to have a better opportunity of selling and shipping out snakes without weather related issues.
One thing I would like to see improved for the next MorphMadness sale would be the ability to search deals on specific traits (and any of the advanced search options, like age, diet, etc.). Otherwise, you have to either hit the ‘Deals’ tab for an entire species and manually look through to see if anything is what you’re looking for, or you have to use the advanced search to narrow it down and then look through that to see if any are on sale.
